Remotely controlled diagnostic telephone system with modem

• US 6,721,404 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2002
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Doss, Robert L. Jr., Lashley, David Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Application Number:
  US10/243,003
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 379/102.01, 379/102.02, 379/93-5-, 379/93.17, 379/93.28, 379/93.29, 379/93.31, 379/387.01, 379/395, 379/110.01, 379/90.01, 714/46
• US Class Current: 379/102.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C

Abstract

Systems and methods for remotely diagnosing, trouble shooting, and/or programming an end user telephone by a customer service representative using a modem in communication with the user'"'"'s telephone during a live telephone call between the customer service representative and the user are disclosed. The user telephone and modem system generally comprises a telephone having a remotely controllable feature and a user modem that alternates between voice and data signal transmissions and communicates with a remote customer service modem. The user modem receives control signals from the remote customer service modem for controlling the controllable feature of the user telephone. The user telephone may be a DSP-enabled telephone with the user modem being embodied in the DSP. Examples of remotely controllable features include volume, frequency response, compression ratio, knee point, programmable memory, an LED light, self-diagnostic test, and/or user hearing test administration. The user telephone may provide a customer support call button, activation of which causes the telephone to automatically connect with the remote customer support modem and transmit telephone identification data to the remote customer support modem.

Claims

1. A telephone and modem system, comprising:

a telephone having at least one remotely controllable feature; and

a user modem for receiving and transmitting voice and data signals over a telephone transmission mechanism, the modem being configured to transmit voice signals to the telephone and to selectively alternate between voice and data signal transmissions over the telephone transmission mechanism, the user modem being further configured for communication with a remote customer service modem over the telephone transmission mechanism,

wherein the user modem is further configured to process received data signals to thereby control the remotely controllable feature of the telephone in response to data signals received from the remote customer service modem.

2. A telephone and modem system of claim 1, wherein the telephone is a DSP-enabled telephone comprising a digital signal processor and a microcontroller, wherein the user modem is embodied within at least one of the digital signal processor and the microcontroller.

3. A telephone and modem system of claim 2, wherein the DSP-enabled telephone further comprises A/D and D/A converters and wherein the user modem is further embodied in the A/D and D/A converters.

4. A telephone and modem system of claim 2, wherein the received data signals processed by the user modem is utilized by the microcontroller to control the remotely controllable feature of the telephone in response to data signals received from the remote customer service modem.

5. A telephone and modem system of claim 2, wherein the at least one remotely controllable feature is selected from the group consisting of volume, frequency response, compression ratio, and knee point of the DSP-enabled amplified telephone.

6. A telephone and modem system of claim 5, wherein the remotely controllable feature has a setting that is remotely determinable by the remote customer service modem.

7. A telephone and modem system of claim 1, wherein the processed data signals are digital signals and data and voice signals transmitted over the telephone transmission mechanism are analog signals, wherein the user modem converts the data signals received over the telephone transmission mechanism from analog to digital.

8. A telephone and modem system of claim 1, wherein the user modem converts the voice signals received over the telephone transmission mechanism from analog to digital such that the voice signals transmitted from the user modem to the telephone are digital signals.

9. A telephone and modem system of claim 1, wherein the at least one remotely controllable feature is a programmable memory, contents of the programmable memory being remotely programmable by the remote customer service modem.

10. A telephone and modem system of claim 1, wherein the at least one remotely controllable feature is an LED light, the LED light being controlled to be one of turned on, turned off, and flashed on and off by the remote customer service modem.

11. A telephone and modem system of claim 1, wherein the at least one remotely controllable feature is performance of a self-diagnostic test for diagnosing potential problems with the telephone, the self-diagnostic test being executed by the remote customer service modem.

12. A telephone and modem system of claim 1, wherein the at least one remotely controllable feature is administration of a hearing test on the user to determine proper telephone settings for the user.

13. A telephone and modem system of claim 1, wherein the telephone further comprises a customer support call button, activation of which causes the telephone to connect with the remote customer support modem.

14. A telephone and modem system of claim 13, wherein activation of the customer support call button further causes the telephone to transmit telephone identification data to the remote customer support modem after connection therewith.

15. A customer service telephone and modem system, comprising:

a customer service telephone; and

a customer service modem for receiving and transmitting voice and data signal over a telephone transmission mechanism, the modem being configured to transmit voice signals to the telephone and to selectively alternate between voice and data signal transmissions over the telephone transmission mechanism, the customer service modem bring further configured for communication with a remote user modem over the telephone transmission mechanism to remotely control at least one remotely controllable feature of a user telephone via the user modem,

whereby the at least one remotely controllable feature of the user telephone is remotely controllable by data signals transmitted from the customer service modem and received and processed by the user modem.

16. The customer service telephone and modem system of claim 15, wherein the user telephone is a DSP-enabled telephone and wherein the at least one remotely controllable feature of the user telephone is selected from the group consisting of volume, frequency response, compression ratio, and knee point of the DSP-enabled amplified telephone.

17. The customer service telephone and modem system of claim 15, further comprising a database, a display, an input device, and a customer service CPU executing a customer service software package, wherein the CPU is in communication with the customer service telephone, customer service modem, database, display, and input device.

18. The customer service telephone and modem system of claim 17, wherein the CPU generates data signals for transmission to the user telephone via the customer service modem and the user modem for remote control of the at least one remotely controllable feature of the user telephone.

19. The customer service telephone and modem system of claim 17, wherein the remotely controllable feature has a setting that is remotely determinable by the CPU.

20. The customer service telephone and modem system of claim 17, wherein the remotely controllable feature is a programmable memory and contents of which is programmable by the CPU via the customer service modem and the user modem.

21. The customer service telephone and modem system of claim 17, wherein the at least one remotely controllable feature is an LED light, the LED light being controlled to be one of turned on, turned off, and flashed on and off by the CPU via the customer service modem and the user modem.

22. The customer service telephone and modem system of claim 17, wherein the at least one remotely controllable feature is performance of a self-diagnostic test for diagnosing potential problems with the user telephone, the self-diagnostic test being selectively executed by the CPU via the customer service modem and the user modem.

23. The customer service telephone and modem system of claim 17, wherein the at least one remotely controllable feature is administration of a hearing test on the user to determine proper telephone settings for the user by the CPU via the customer service modem and the user modem.

24. The customer service telephone and modem system of claim 17, wherein the CPU is adapted to request and retrieve identification data from the user telephone via the user modem and the customer service modem.

25. The customer service telephone and modem system of claim 15, wherein the data and voice signals transmitted over the telephone transmission mechanism to the customer service modem are analog signals, wherein the customer service modem converts the data signals received over the telephone transmission mechanism from analog to digital.

26. The customer service telephone and modem system of claim 15, wherein the data and voice signals transmitted over the telephone transmission mechanism to the customer service modem are analog signals, wherein the customer service modem converts the voice signals received over the telephone transmission mechanism from analog to digital.